At the beginning of the last week of the 1974 World Cup, the aged Argentine President Juan Perón dies. His death leads to a lot of activism. In order to avoid new elections, Perón’s widow Isabel is hastily sworn in as the new president, but is seen as a puppet of powerful backers. She will not be able to prevent Argentina’s descent into chaos and anarchy and the resulting brutal military dictatorship. A country ruled by murderers and torturers will thus be the controversial host of the next World Cup.
As early as 1966, when Germany was awarded the 1974 World Cup, the defeated competitors Argentina and Spain were given the opportunity to host the tournaments in 1978 and 1982 – at the time the World Cup was awarded, Spain had been under the dictatorship of General Franco for 39 years, and in Argentina General Onganía had seized power in a coup eight days earlier.
Under unclear circumstances
The news of Perón’s death also caused a stir among the organizers of the World Cup in Germany and the officials of the world association FIFA. It led to a very strange, even grotesque decision. Under unclear circumstances, it was decided that a minute’s silence for Perón should be held during the final four group matches. This is usually only done when deaths occur in football. Even more unusual is the time when the minute’s silence should take place. Not, as is usual, shortly before kick-off. But during the match.
So there will be a bizarre scene between Germany and Poland in Frankfurt, where a place in the final is at stake, which will be repeated in the three subsequent matches on the last match day of the second final round of the World Cup. Ten minutes have been played in the match, which was kicked off late due to heavy rain, and Uli Hoeneß is just about to take a throw-in when the Austrian referee Erich Linemayr unexpectedly blows his whistle and raises his left arm. Then he lowers it again, takes a stance, almost military, hands on the seam of his trousers.
The 22 players, looking confused, obviously surprised by the interruption, hesitantly follow suit. Spread out like pawns across the large, soaked pitch, they stand where they just were – as if it were the well-known children’s game where everyone runs away until someone shouts “freeze”. After about thirty seconds, play continues, Hoeneß interjects, and the most bizarre half minute ever seen in a World Cup stadium is over.
